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Express Software Manager allows us to take advantage of Citrix XenApp to make software available throughout our school division, while enforcing our per-seat license agreements under which many of our titles were purchased.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB)June 08, 2012

Express Metrix®, a leading provider of asset management software, has announced the availability of a new offering that enables organizations to monitor and control consumption of applications that are streamed or published to endpoint devices using Citrix XenApp Server and other virtualization technologies.

Citrix XenApp is a popular means of providing end-user access to corporate applications from computers and remote devices including workstations, thin client machines, public kiosks, and, increasingly, mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Like software that resides on traditional workstations, applications running on Citrix servers require a method of being tracked and managed so companies can remain compliant with license agreements and ensure no more licenses have been purchased than are in use—while still guaranteeing the right users have access to the software they need.

Unfortunately, few options exist for companies that wish to manage the use of software running on Citrix, leaving them vulnerable in the event of vendor audits and without information needed to identify unused applications that are candidates for retirement or reallocation. Such concerns have intensified in recent years as organizations that seek to extend application access to mobile devices are faced with significant costs associated with purchasing additional licenses for those devices. To avoid license exposure many companies resort to purchasing very expensive "site licenses" to cover all connecting devices; yet because such costs can be prohibitive, others choose not to take advantage of application streaming or publishing technologies at all.

With Express Software Manager® for Citrix, companies can analyze usage of applications published or streamed via Citrix XenApp and, if appropriate, limit access to those applications to named users and/or devices. The end result is a substantial improvement in the abilities to manage license compliance and security risks, prevent overspending on software, and optimize utilization of licenses and resources in Citrix environments.

Express Metrix's VP of Products and Services, Jeff Kelsey, commented, "For many years organizations that wish to manage applications running on Citrix have been virtually ignored by license management vendors because they have occupied a relatively small fraction of the marketplace. However, as companies increasingly embrace mobile computing and move to the Citrix platform to deliver software to end users, they face the same asset management challenges as every other organization. Our solution is designed to work as flawlessly in Citrix environments as it does in traditional desktop environments, answering critical questions relating to what software is being consumed and by whom, whether it is legally licensed, and when to buy—or retire—licenses."

With Express Software Manager for Citrix, organizations can audit license compliance for per-seat, per-user and concurrently licensed applications, as well as enforce license agreements, security policies and compliance mandates by specifying which users and/or endpoint devices can access certain applications. With usage statistics such as user logins and start, stop and idle times, companies can easily obtain details relating to who is accessing what software, when, and for how long. Furthermore, companies can make better-informed software purchases by tracking and analyzing license consumption and peak usage for deployed applications.

Dave Kilburn, Software Configuration Specialist for York County Schools, uses Express Software Manager to manage software within the school division's Citrix implementation, which serves approximately 14,000 users. According to Mr. Kilburn, "Express Software Manager allows us to take advantage of Citrix XenApp to make software available throughout our school division, while enforcing our per-seat license agreements under which many of our titles were purchased.

"Prior to creating our virtual environment, we had to analyze usage and compatibility for over 800 software titles. With the insight gained from Express Software Manager's software utilization statistics, we've been able to eliminate more than 200 titles based on lack of usage, allowing us to be more attentive to the 600+ software titles that we still deploy, as well as save a significant amount of money previously spent on maintenance and upgrades for unused titles. As far as I'm aware, no other product offers this kind of visibility and control over software running on Citrix."

About Express Metrix
Express Metrix, a veteran in the IT asset management space for over a decade, focuses on serving organizations whose needs for accurate, comprehensive IT asset reporting and trouble-free management aren't met by enterprise-oriented framework products or less sophisticated inventory tools. Express Metrix recently welcomed its 5,000th customer, having earned a reputation for delivering superior IT asset reporting, ease of deployment and use, and outstanding customer support. Winner of the SIIA's 2008 CODiE Award for "Best Asset Management Solution," Express Metrix is a Microsoft Certified partner and is certified Citrix Ready. More information on Express Metrix can be found at http://www.expressmetrix.com.